Destinations

A different set of rules applies in the Mediterranean. Time is measured in centuries, not minutes. The moon bathes in the canals of Venice. And Greek gods live on in a sky full of constellations. Surrounded by wonders like the Pietá and David, the magnificence of Cinque Terre, the culturally transcendent Alhambra, it is easy to believe there is something magical at work here. Something that kisses grapes and transforms them into divine wine, turns Riviera beaches to gold in the last light of day, and gifts you with a beautiful white yacht to see it all.

The Acropolis at sunset. A moonlight supper at the ancient Celsus Library in Ephesus. The Minoan eruption of Thira, where some say the ruins of Atlantis are hidden. Like arms joined in a syrtakis dance, one incomparable experience follows another across the Aegean and the Black Sea, and your white yacht gives you a front row seat to it all. Compare the rich blue of Santorini with that of the Iznik tiles in Istanbul’s Blue Mosque. Get deliciously lost in the labyrinthine lanes of medieval Rhodes. Cross the Dardanelles and Bosporus like the voyagers of old, waving first to one continent and then the other.

What can you make of a nation that can turn cold marble and cowhide into unbelievably lifelike statues and fabulously fashionable footwear? Imagine then, what Italy can add to an already exquisite voyage on a Windstar yacht – that work of art floating in the harbor. There are so many wonders here it’s hard to know where to look. They appear on every street corner, in every roundabout, on ceilings, in floors, in the landscapes of Tuscany and the Amalfi Coast. Even the place names – Gulf of Poets, Coast of Flowers – are lovely.

Words like moor, fjord, crag, and tundra were born in this land, because no existing vocabulary could adequately describe these extraordinary landscapes. These regions could just as easily have coined a term for ambrosial summer evenings at seaside cafés, Fabergé palaces of amber and gold, and storybook cities crisscrossed by canals and flower markets, all of which are here in abundance. But as your elegant yacht traces its way through enchanting fjords and forgotten archipelagos, you won’t need words. You are speechless.

Candy-colored cocktails sipped in seaside watering holes. Carefree days followed by calypso-flavored nights. These are the siren songs that lure anyone with a yacht and a yearning to escape to the incomparable Caribbean Islands. Whether you’re sailing through turquoise waters, lazing on powdery white beaches, the glamorous harbors and unknown coves of this area remain a hidden treasure.

Introducing Island Experience
Introducing our new Island Experiences in the Caribbean – part of the complimentary Private Event program launching around the world in 2015. These experiences seek to treat guests to the feeling of having their “own private island” for the day, with each Windstar Caribbean itinerary including an Island Experience Private Event. All Island Experience Private Events will offer fun in the sun beach and sport activities such as snorkeling, bocce ball, and volleyball with the chance to face the Captain and officers in a tournament. Indulge in the full beach barbeque with dishes including lobster and shrimp mac cheese, “surfs up” tequila lobster tacos, Cajun jambalaya, a full burger bar, and more.

Natural and man-made wonders combine inn this exotic region. Learn more about area history, flora and fauna from a local Naturalist on board your yacht. The waters of Corcovado National Park are teeming with diverse undersea life, while Golfo Dulce boasts a rainforest high above the clouds. Dive into the waters surrounding Isla de Coiba to view one of the Pacific Coast’s most amazing coral reefs. And transit the massive Panama Canal, one of the world's most stunning feats of engineering in a sailing yacht that lets you see it all.

It’s a match made in heaven, this. You on your pristine white ship, sails billowing, and these islands, so impossibly colorful, like a box of crayons gone mad. Wind Spirit is as at-home among Tahiti’s deserted motus and shallow lagoons as a tiare flower, and just as beautiful, furled or unfurled. Bliss knows no bounds. The sand massages your feet, warm water welcomes you like an old friend, ambition falls away as you watch the sun etch palm fronds on the beach. This is a place that is easy to love, difficult to leave, as so many before you have discovered. Come. Keep the promise you made to yourself so long ago.

Your elegant yacht with its sleek lines and sophisticated technology takes you through lands as old as time and as new as tomorrow. The pharaohs themselves would envy your luxurious passage along ancient spice routes and the treasures you encounter in your journey. Golden trinkets from the tombs, golden beaches of the Red Sea, golden sands and sparkling spires of Arabia. Follow the frankincense train to the ancient city of Zafar, traverse the narrow Sig to the Lost City of Petra, marvel at the modern miracles of Dubai. And keep the promise you made to yourself to live life to the fullest.

Please join us on the inaugural voyage of our beautiful all suite yacht, Star Breeze, as we sail from Nice to Rome in Windstar’s signature style. Connect this voyage with the following 7-day Yachting the Riviera on May 10, 2015 and save an additional 5%.

Join us as we welcome the beautiful Star Legend to the Windstar fleet. You’ll be our guest at her exciting christening ceremony in Rome on May 25 and experience the magic of her first Windstar Sail Away as we raise the flag over her decks. The festivities continue throughout this celebration voyage as we visit some of the Mediterranean’s most enticing ports.

Each of Windstar’s unique theme voyages offers you intimate access to some of the world's most exclusive destinations and events. From the exhilaration of watching Monte Carlo’s Grand Prix from a premier grandstand seat . . . to treating your palate to Europe’s best seafood in Spain’s Galicia region and world-famous wines in Bordeaux . . . these packages and voyages are custom made for exploration. Experience it all in Windstar's signature private yacht style.

This is what sailing yachts were meant to do. Yards of white fabric soar above with only an indulgence of time and the promise of landfall on the other side of tomorrow. You’ve never seen stars like this – pushing back the abyss of space with impossible brightness. You’ve never had days like this – free of obligation and with no ruler for success other than meeting your pillow with a smile. Progress is measured in intimate conversations, sunrises and sunsets, visits to the Bridge, a massage in the spa. There are magical ports on the horizon, yes, but your desire for haste has somehow dissolved away in a sea of serenity.